Single serving size slices of pie that are sold separately offer many advantages to the consumer. Specifically, consumers need only purchase as many slices of pie as they are likely to use at one time. Consequently, there is not likely to be wastage when slices of pie are purchased individually.
Slices of pie that are packaged and sold separately are especially desirable for small households that would seldom consume more than a few slices of pie in one sitting. Thus, the demand for individually packaged slices of pie has grown recently in response to the increasing number of small households.
Packages for single slices of pie have been available for many years. Typically, these packages for single slices of pie have had identical isosceles triangular top and bottom walls connected by side walls that are perpendicular to the top and bottom walls. Prior art paperboard containers having these features include: U.S. Pat. No. 2,220,110 issued to Layton; U.S. Pat. No. 2,701,090 issued to Buttery; U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,650 issued to Watts; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,131 issued to Tolaas. Containers similar to those cited above but constructed from plastic material include U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,403 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,411, both of which issued to Rump.
A principal deficiency of the above cited prior art containers for single slices of pie is that they do not conform very closely to the configuration of the product packaged therein. Specifically, pies typically have a frusto-conical configuration with the top surface having a larger area than the bottom surface, and with a slanting crust extending therebetween. Each slice of pie is defined by two radii of the entire pie. Thus, the slice of pie cut in this manner will include a top surface that is larger than its bottom surface, and an inclined section of crust extending between the top and bottom surfaces.
The packages shown in the references listed above, however, all include three side walls that are perpendicular to the bottom of the container. Thus, as the pie shifts in the container during shipping the upstanding wall of the container adjacent to the rear crust will contact only the portion of the crust adjacent to the top surface of the slice of pie. This contact between the top part of the crust and the upstanding side wall creates a torque on the delicate crust that often may damage the pie during shipping.
The containers for single slices of pie shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,583,915 issued to Whitley and U.S. Pat. No. 2,584,379 issued to Chimieliwski both include rear walls that are inclined, and thereby reduce the torque on the crust of the pie. However, these containers include poorly supported top and side walls that could result in damage to the pie in other ways.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,542 which issued to Harry H. Roberts and Raymond D. Cote on Feb. 2, 1982 and which is assigned to the assignee of the subject invention is directed to a single serving pie carton and blank that overcomes many of the problems of the prior art containers cited above. Specifically, the container to which U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,542 is directed includes strongly supported side walls that enable the container to retain its configuration during shipping ard storage. Additionally, the container of U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,542 includes an inclined rear wall that more closely conforms to the configuration of the slice of pie and minimizes the torsional forces on the fragile rear crust of the pie.
Despite the many advantages of U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,542 it has been desired to provide an improved carton for single slices of pie that can provide for easier insertion and removal of the slice of pie. Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,542 and the previously cited references are directed to cartons that provide for loading and unloading of the slice of pie from the top. This top loading feature is difficult to accomplish with the automatic packaging devices used by most bakeries, and damage to the slices of pie is possible when the packaging devices are operated at high speed. Additionally, it also is difficult for the consumer to remove the pie from the top of the container without damaging the slice of pie. A container that provides a level of protection for the slice of pie comparable to that of U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,542, and that also enables the slices of pie to be loaded and unloaded from the rear of the container would be desirable. U.S. Pat. No. 3,142,430 issued to Meyers is directed to a self-erecting wedge shaped carton especially adapted to contain sandwiches, cakes and the like. Although the carton of U.S. Pat. No. 3,142,430 provides for side loading, it also is characterized by three side walls that are perpendicular to the top and bottom walls. As explained above, this construction would poorly protect a slice of pie placed in this carton. Additionally, the self-erecting features reduce the strength of the carton shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,142,430, thereby further increasing the possibility of damage to the fragile slice of pie during shipping or storage.
In view of the above it is an object of the subject invention to provide a container for a single slice of pie that enables easy loading and removal of the pie from the rear of the container.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a container for a single slice of pie that enables loading of the pie into the container at a desirably fast rate by automatic packaging devices.
It is an additional object of the subject invention to provide a container for a single slice of pie that provides the necessary support for the pie during shipping and storage.
It is a further object of the subject invention to provide a container for a single slice of pie that includes an inclined rear wall that conforms to the configuration of the slice of pie, and may be loaded from the rear of the container.
It is yet another object of the subject invention to provide a container for a single slice of pie that can be manufactured easily and inexpensively from a single blank of paperboard material.